Vibrant Vegetable Fried Rice (Printer view)

Colorful stir-fried rice packed with crisp vegetables, aromatic garlic and ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

# What You'll Need:

→ Rice

01 - 3 cups cooked jasmine or long-grain rice (preferably day-old, cold)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup carrots, diced
03 - 1 cup bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
05 - 1 cup broccoli florets, small
06 - 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
07 - 1/2 cup green beans, chopped
08 - 3 green onions, sliced (reserve some for garnish)
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1-inch piece ginger, minced

→ Sauces & Seasonings

11 - 3 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
12 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
13 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola/sunflower)
14 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
15 - 1/2 tsp white pepper or black pepper
16 - Salt, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
02 - Add the carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, green beans, and corn. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until just tender but still crisp.
03 - Stir in the peas and most of the green onions; cook for 1 minute.
04 - Increase the heat to high and add the cold cooked rice. Stir-fry, breaking up any clumps, for 2–3 minutes until the rice is heated through.
05 - Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice. Sprinkle with pepper and toss well to combine everything evenly.
06 - Taste and adjust salt or soy sauce as needed.
07 - Remove from heat. Garnish with reserved green onions and sesame seeds if using. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It transforms leftover rice and whatever vegetables are wilting in your crisper into something people actually get excited about.
  • The whole dish comes together faster than ordering takeout, and you control the oil, salt, and crunch.
  • It tastes even better the next day cold straight from the fridge, which I learned by accident during a midnight snack raid.
02 -
  • Cold day-old rice is not optional, it's physics: fresh rice has too much moisture and will turn into a sticky, mushy mess no matter how high your heat is.
  • Don't stir constantly like you're making risotto, let the rice sit undisturbed for a few seconds at a time so it can develop those crispy, golden bits on the bottom.
03 -
  • Use the biggest wok or skillet you own so the rice has room to spread out and fry instead of steam in a crowded pan.
  • Keep your ingredients prepped and within arm's reach before you start cooking, because once that wok is hot, everything moves fast and there's no time to chop mid-stir-fry.
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